Happily Ever After
by MissCupOfTea
Summary: She was simply a wallflower destined to live her life pining after a man who would never love her back. She was not a princess. She had no prince. She was simply Victoria, but perhaps there was hope for her after all. Elmont/OC
1. Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter

_Hey guys! MissCupOfTea here! I got inspired after watching Jack the Giant Slayer in theatres yesterday, so I decided to write this. _

_Don't forget to leave a comment! They're greatly appreciated! :)_

**Summary: **She was simply a wallflower destined to live her life pining after a man who would never love her back. She was not a princess. She had no prince. She was simply Victoria, but perhaps there was hope after all. Elmont/OC

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**Chapter One: A Chance Encounter**

_Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a farmer's daughter. She was born to two loving parents who treated her as if she was a princess. She had a family. She had a beautiful home. She was happy. It all ended when the plague came. The farm died, and so had the life she had become so familiar with. The plague tore her family apart, taking her mother with it. Her father became cold – hardened by the tragedies and cruelties of life. However, all was not lost. Tragedy brought her a gift in the form of a prince. The prince saved her from her cold father and the cruel world. The two fell in love and lived happily ever after._

The girl was brought out of her daze. She could only wish that was the true ending of the sorry excuse of a fairytale that ultimately was her life. The prince was by no means a prince in the conventional sense of the word. He was Jack – a person that was even worse off than her. At least she still had her father even if he had changed over the years. Jack was no prince, but he was kind and caring, and she loved him. There was nothing she would not give to have him look at her the same way she did towards him, but as of right now, she would have to be content with their friendship.

The girl mused. Tragedy truly did bring her Jack. After the death of his father, Victoria's own father had taken him in. He had promised Jack's father, after all. Victoria understood Jack. She knew what it was like to lose someone so important. After the loss of her mother, she was never the same. She saw the world for what it was. Cruel. She would give anything to see her once more, and she knew Jack felt the same about his parents. What made them different was the fact that Jack used his losses to make him stronger while Victoria let her loss destroy her. Perhaps it was that thought that pulled her towards him. Though they were given the same circumstances, he was able to pull through intact while she had been weak. It broke her while it made him stronger.

"Victoria!" A voice had suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

Taking her hands off of the shirt she was hanging up, Victoria tilted her head backwards towards the gruff voice. "Yes, Father?"

"Go with Jack to the market. I told him to sell the ol' horse, but I don't trust him by himself. Make sure he does what I told him. And get ingredients for dinner tonight." He did not wait for a reply as he closed the door and reentered the house. Victoria sighed as she finished what she was doing, feeling a burst of anger bubbling up inside of her, threatening to spill. He had no right to belittle Jack the way that he did. He might seem irresponsible, but Victoria knew for a fact that he was not.

Cleaning off the dirt that had made its way to her already dirty clothes, she abruptly stood up and headed towards where she thought she might find Jack. As expected, once she reached him, he was just about to head off in the direction of town.

"Victoria? What are you doing here?" Once he saw the look on her face, he sighed. "Uncle told you to come with me, didn't he?" The girl bit her lip and nodded, looking away. She did not want to make him feel bad about the situation.

There was a moment of silence before Victoria decided to break it. "We should go now if we want to be back by sundown."

Jack merely nodded as he led the way. Along the way, the two fell into mindless chatter as they headed for town. Victoria wished she could tell him everything she was keeping inside, but she knew she could not. He didn't feel the same way. She was a friend to him – that was all, but a girl could dream, right?

Finally, the two arrived in town. "Jack?" At the sound of Victoria's voice, Jack turned towards her. "I'm going to go and get some food for dinner. How does vegetable stew sound?"

Jack grinned broadly at her, and she could not help but feel warm at the sight of his smile. "That sounds wonderful. Your cooking is the best."

With a smile, the two parted ways. Victoria headed off towards the food aisles. "Let's see… we have tomatoes and a bit of carrot left at home. All I need to get are potatoes and beans then." Having made up her mind, Victoria headed off to buy some potatoes and beans, hoping the price had not gone up since the last time she was there. Seeing the stall she was looking for, Victoria thanked the heavens that she had enough money to buy the ingredients. Happily, she paid the merchant and set off to find Jack, basket in hand, when suddenly, the basket was ripped from her unsuspecting arm. Startled, it took a moment for Victoria to react.

"Stop! Thief!" She could not afford to waste any money. She needed to catch that thief. Gathering her dress, Victoria sprinted towards the thief, feeling the air rush past her.

"Someone! Please help! That man robbed me!" It seemed that no one heard her or was choosing to ignore her. Getting tired, Victoria labeled her effort as being futile. She did not have enough stamina to keep up with the thief. She cursed herself for having wasted the money and was scared to come back to her father empty-handed. How could she been so careless? Her father will surely not be pleased. But Jack was going to sell the horse. Surely, that must be enough money to please her father? Victoria was nearly in tears at the thought of angering her father when her thoughts were once again interrupted – this time by the sound of a horse. Curiously, she looked up to the rider of the horse. The man was dressed in a knight's uniform and was handsome to say the least, but what caught her eye was what he had in his hands. It was her basket!

The man spoke in a voice that oozed authority. "This is yours, I presume?"

Suddenly feeling shy, she lost her voice as she simply nodded. He was a part of the King's royal guard, after all. Naturally, being in his presence intimidated her. She reached her hands out to his outstretched, gloved ones to get her basket. As she took it from his hands, she could not help a tingle making its way up her spine when his fingers brushed hers. She shivered. It must be from the intense stare coming from his eyes. She was merely intimidated she reasoned with herself. She had never been in the presence of someone so important.

Finally finding her voice, Victoria smiled gently. "Thank you, Sir."

The man nodded curtly before heading off. Victoria's eyes trailed after him as he left, followed by more knights. That certainly was an interesting encounter. She was simply glad that she had gotten back what was stolen from her. Now, she needed to find Jack, so they could go home. She was tired from having chased after the thief and wanted nothing more but than to rest her feet for a while.

Walking around, looking for Jack, she stopped when she heard a commotion from the gates. When she reached the court near the gate, a monk ran past her, followed by guards on horseback. Deciding not to intervene, Victoria scanned the court, a smile reaching her face once she found Jack by a pillar. However, upon reaching him, Victoria was panicked by the distraught look on his pale face.

"Jack? What's the matter? Tell me." Victoria asked frantically, worry clearly evident in her tone. She hoped everything was okay.

Jack gulped and was still staring off into space as he said, "Someone… stole the horse."

A hand flew to her mouth, suppressing a gasp. Father would be furious. However, Victoria knew she could not blame Jack. After all, she was robbed not too long ago. This did not lessen her fears though.

She gently put a hand to his shoulders. "It'll be okay, Jack. Do not worry. We'll figure something out. We always do." Although she did not feel too confident, she needed to be strong for Jack right now. He nodded listlessly. Grabbing his hand, Victoria led him outside the castle walls, and the two headed home, a thick silence enveloping the atmosphere around them.

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"How could you have been so foolish?" Father yelled at Jack with anger in his voice that was beyond his usual tone.

Victoria fought the urge to cover her ears. When they had gotten home, Father had been out. Only after dinner was made did he come home. Victoria had cringed. He had been drinking again. The tension through dinner was high as Jack and Victoria kept silent. After dinner, her father had confronted Jack about the money he earned today. As expected, her father became furious.

"Your father dying from the plague was a terrible tragedy, but him leaving you to me was a worse plague!" There was a moment of silence before her father continued. "Sell some of your mother's things then." Victoria gasped. Those were priceless. She, herself, would never sell her mother's things.

"They're not yours to sell!" Jack replied firmly.

"The horse and cart were!" Footsteps were coming towards her. Victoria tried to go out of the back door. "Victoria!" Reluctantly, Victoria turned towards her Father.

"Yes, Father?"

"I told you to watch over him! You couldn't even do one thing!" There was a loud noise as his hand connected with her cheek. Victoria did not move. Victoria did not cry. She knew better than that. "You worthless girl! I asked you to do one thing!"

Victoria kept silent, closing her eyes as her father hit her again and again. Bruises formed on her arms. Luckily, her dress could easily hide those. She convinced herself that he had simply been drinking. He cared for her, but deep inside, she knew that was not the case. Every ounce of love he had for her died the same day her mother did. Pulling her hair, her father dragged her outside.

"Go on! Get out! I don't want to see your face!" The door was closed before she could reply, and Victoria was left in the mud. Feeling numb, she picked herself up and headed over to the forest. Finding a clearing, Victoria sat down, tears forming in her eyes. What had her life come to? Why had this happened to her? When did her family become so dysfunctional?

She missed her mother terribly. If she was here, none of this would have happened. She would be leading a happy life. Her father would not be cruel and heartless. He would be that loving man who told her bedtime stories every night - not the man who got angry at the mere sight of her face. It seemed as if it pained him just to look at her. She supposed she was a constant reminder of his beloved wife. He was a good man she tried to convince herself. This is just a rough patch. Everything will be okay. Suddenly, the fairytale she had been making up this morning came to her. Jack would fall madly in love with her, and she would have her happily ever after. More tears dropped when she came to her senses. That would not happen. She shouldn't be so foolish. Who could ever love a girl like her?

After a while, drops of rain made their way to her, but she ignored them. Once it started pouring, however, she stood up, ready to go home. Surely her father had passed out or had gone out drinking again. It wouldn't be the first time, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Almost there, she suddenly felt the ground tremble, and Victoria had to hold on to a tree to stable herself. There was a deep rumbling in the ground as vines shot out from beneath her house. "What in the world?" Victoria cried out bewildered. It was growing at an impossible rate by the second, taking her house with it. "I must be dreaming!" Pinching herself to snap out of this nightmare, she grew pale at the pain coming from her skin. This was no dream.

Suddenly, a thought came to her. "Jack!"

Running, she found Jack, trying to climb up the growing stalk. "Jack! You need to get down. It's dangerous!"

It was no use. He could not hear her over the noise. Feeling determined, Victoria grabbed on to one of the vines. Sweat poured off of her face as she tried to keep a steady hold. She needed to do this. She needed to help Jack. With trembling hands, she reached up towards another vine to get closer to Jack.

"Just a little bit more." She reached higher up. Her hands found the vine, and she tried to pull herself up, ripping her dress in the process. Once she got up, she looked around, looking for another vine. She kept climbing, trying not to look down and becoming discouraged – all the while getting closer and closer to Jack. She reached towards a particularly high vine and let out a sigh of relief as her wet fingers found it. It was short lived when she lost her grip. She screamed but knew that it was futile. Victoria let the tears flow freely. The last thing she would ever see was Jack fighting for his life on the vines. She could not help him. She had a chance to finally do something for him after everything he had done for her, and here she was falling to her death. Her father was right. She was absolutely worthless.

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_Sorry for such a short chapter. I promise the next chapters will be longer and more exciting! Anyway, don't forget to tell me what you guys think!_

**Next Chapter: **Going up the beanstalk!


	2. Chapter 2: More Losses

_Hey! I'm back with chapter two! Thanks for the reviews you guys gave, and I hope you guys enjoy the next chapter! _

_Don't forget to review at the the end of the story!_

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Jack the Giant Slayer or any of its characters. _**

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**Chapter Two: More Losses**

Victoria groaned as she felt something against her cheek. She tried to turn her head to block the pest that was annoying her so early in the morning, but it was no use. She mumbled quietly with a hint of annoyance lacing her tone, "Jack. Stop. It's way too early, and I have a headache. Go away."

"Early? Why, I daresay it is exactly the right time to get up." At the sound of a man's voice, Victoria's eyes shot open. That was not Jack's voice. She sat up only to curse herself once the sudden movement made her headache worse. She put her hands to the sides of her head, hoping to soothe her throbbing head. What had happened?

When the man cleared his throat, Victoria was reminded of his presence. She looked up at him. Oh! It was the man who had retrieved her basket! The knight. He continued speaking, "Just what on earth do you think you're doing out here, girl?"

Victoria was confused. "Why, Sir, this is my hou –" Victoria was cut off as she finally got the chance to scan her surroundings. When she had awoken, she had dismissed her visions of a magical stalk growing out of her house as a dream. Obviously, it was not merely a figment of her imagination. Another thought came to her. "Jack! Where's Jack?" Victoria looked around frantically for her friend, praying that he was alright. She would never be able to forgive herself if Jack was hurt.

"I'm right here, Victoria." At the sound of his voice, Victoria's shoulders immediately relaxed as she scrambled to her feet and launched herself at the man.

Victoria pressed her face to his chest as she held back her tears. "Jack! Don't ever do that to me again! Do you hear me?"

As the two parted, Jack replied, "I'm sorry for worrying you, Victoria."

A new voice rang in her ears. "As much as I'd love to watch this happy reunion, I must ask why exactly you have my daughter's bracelet." When Victoria saw who the speaker was, she instantly curtsied. First she had met a knight, and now she was in the presence of the king! What a bizarre turn of events!

"Your majesty." The words fell from her lips automatically, amazed at his mere presence.

Jack explained himself, "Your daughter came to my house, seeking shelter from the rain. I could not refuse her. She's still in the house."

The King frowned. "And where exactly is your house, boy?" Jack swallowed thickly as his hands pointed behind him towards the sky. Realization dawned on Victoria. That was why he was trying to get up the stalk.

The King was silent for a moment before he ordered, "Elmont. Get your best men that can climb, and retrieve my daughter." The knight who had woken Victoria up, who she now knew was named Elmont, nodded curtly before turning around to speak to his soldiers, once again speaking in a tone that commanded attention and obedience.

Another man spoke up, "I must ask to come along as well. It would be a great way for me to prove myself to my fiancé." Now, she was meeting the princess's fiancée! Victoria never would have thought that she would be in this situation, meeting so many important people in the course of a day. It all felt like a dream.

The King nodded. "Very well, Roderick."

"Wait!" The voice came from Jack. Elmont turned around to look at him. Jack took a step forward. "I'm coming with you."

Elmont gave him an amused look, but before he could reply, the King spoke, "Yes, Elmont. The boy may be able to shed some light on this situation. Take him with you."

Jack was going to go up that thing? He couldn't! It was far too dangerous. She had to do something. She had to protect him no matter what.

Victoria surprised herself at what came out of her mouth next. "Wait! I am coming as well!"

The men were silent as they looked at her. Elmont raised an eyebrow at her before speaking, "I think that idea to be highly inappropriate and even more so, it is dangerous, little girl."

"I am aware of that, Sir, but I cannot let Jack go without me." Victoria did not know whether it was her love for Jack or her guilt at not being able to help him yesterday, but whatever it was, she knew it was the right thing to do even if it did put both of them in harm's way.

Elmont, however, was firm in his decision. "No. I simply cannot take –"

He was interrupted by the King once more. "Elmont. Take her with you. You heard her. She may be of some help to you." Victoria smiled gratefully at the man who she figured simply wanted his daughter safe.

Elmont sighed, "Yes, your majesty. However, I do urge you to change into," he paused, gesturing to her ripped and dirty dress, before continuing, "more suitable clothes." He ordered some of his guards to bring clothes for her. Flushed at her inappropriately ripped dress, Victoria simply nodded as Elmont's guards brought her a simple attire of trousers, a black long-sleeved shirt, and boots. Thanking them, she hurried over to an empty soldier's tent and changed.

When Victoria emerged from the tent, she heard a voice and froze in her tracks. "Victoria! Jack!" It was her father. He would be absolutely furious at her beyond normal, and Victoria was afraid to confront him. She could not help but tremble at the memory of last night with her bruises fresh underneath her clothes, disguised with the long sleeve shirt.

She was surprised to see Elmont looking at her as he stopped her father from coming any further. His words fell upon deaf ears as Victoria made her way to Jack, a sudden numbness overtaking her frail body. What had she gotten herself into?

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Victoria watched as Elmont got off the ground and started to calmly scale the vines. She gulped. It had been easier to climb this thing when adrenaline was coursing through her veins like a mad man. She was brought out of her daze by a hand hanging in front of her. Grinning sheepishly, she took Elmont's hands as he helped her to get a grip on the beanstalk.

Before she could say any words of gratitude, Elmont spoke, "You insisted on going on this trip. Please do not hinder us." Embarrassed, Victoria looked away, her face flushing out of the humiliation, but she simply nodded.

A while later, Victoria found herself getting used to climbing the vines. It was a lot easier this time around as it was not slippery from the rain like it was yesterday nor was it dark enough to hinder her visibility. Jack was below her, getting used to climbing the beanstalk as well. As she looked down at him, she felt happy to see him give her a smile of encouragement. She could not help but wonder why he was so determined to go up this beanstalk though. She knew that he was scared of heights or rather not too keen of heights as he liked to call it. He must be looking for an adventure then. Well, this certainly was one indeed.

She was out of her thoughts by the sound of Jack's voice. "What do you suppose is up there?"

Victoria hadn't really thought about it. What was up there? She shuddered as her mind overflowed with images of mythical creatures, stemming from the bedtime stories her father used to read to her when she was little. She was overreacting.

"I don't suppose Jack. I simply prepare for everything." Victoria let out a soft laugh at his response. How on earth could that man be so calm? It seemed that he did not hear her as he kept climbing the beanstalk that seemed to go on forever. Distracted, Victoria slipped, but before she noticed what was going on, a hand held her up once more. Elmont. It seemed as if he was always helping her. She needed to be more careful. She didn't want to give him any trouble.

She released a sigh of utter relief as she looked at him. "Thank you." He nodded, much as he had done when she had first met him in the market before resuming his climb.

Once they reached the top of the particular sprout they had been climbing, Victoria gulped as she saw that they were supposed to transfer to another part of the beanstalk. Curiously, Victoria looked down. She was not afraid of heights, but being this high was enough to frighten her. Behind her, Jack was getting to the top of the vine as well.

"Jack, don't look down." Victoria knew that if he did, he would lose his will and determination. To her side, Elmont shot an arrow through the beanstalk. Victoria gaped. Surely, he did not expect them to use only that to get there, did he? Gracefully, Elmont slid to the other side as if it were something he did every day. She swallowed thickly. It was her turn.

The man behind Jack, who Victoria had heard as being referred to as Crawe, spoke with a smile, "Wanna know a trick? Just stare ahead and imagine something good. Kind of like a reward waiting for you."

Victoria nodded gratefully, and with trembling hands, she undid her belt to use it as a hold on the rope. She fastened it into an upside down 'V' before grabbing on to it tightly. At the other side, she tried her best to imagine that it was her mother. She had her arms wide open as if she were welcoming her daughter, beckoning her over. Victoria let out a breath before jumping off of the vine and making her way towards where Elmont was standing, furiously willing herself to think of her mother at the end of the line.

She felt a thud as she crashed into someone's arms, snuggling into the warmth. "You can open your eyes now." Victoria did not realize how tightly her eyes were shut and was embarrassed to be so snug in Elmont's arms. She had imagined it was her mother who had been holding her, but the mirage was gone now. She was harshly brought back to reality. Shaking her head, Victoria gently pushed herself off of Elmont and looked back at Jack who was now making his way over to them. Her heart lurched out of fear when his grip failed him, but luckily he had made it across. Once he dropped and was lying flat on his back, Victoria hurried over to him, wanting to see if he was alright.

With gentle hands, Victoria shook Jack awake. "Jack. It's alright. You're alright." She smiled as his eyes slowly opened. Victoria knew it must have been hard for him, and she was proud of him.

* * *

Victoria froze as she felt something wet against her cheek. Rain. As time passed by, the rain came down harder. The dark, pouring night that had now replaced clear skies simply reminded her of yesterday's events. She was immobilized with fear as she remembered being helpless, unable to help Jack as she fell to what she had thought would be her death.

"It's alright, Victoria. Keep going. You're alright." The voice was that of Jack's. Looking down briefly, Victoria gave a small smile before finding the courage to lift her hand up, finding another spot to grab on to.

Suddenly, there was a tug on the rope around her that was keeping all of them tied to one another. Victoria almost lost her grip but was grateful to find Elmont holding tightly to the rope, enabling her to get a steady grip on the beanstalk. She looked down to see Jack also tightly gripping onto a vine.

Elmont's voice took her out of her thoughts. "What's going on down there?"

Victoria was shocked at the response from Roderick. "The line. It broke. They're gone." He paused before continuing, "They're all gone." A look of sheer terror flashed through Victoria's face. All those men were gone just like that. This was too much for her, but she knew she had to keep going. She could not let all of their efforts go to waste. A thick silence enveloped everyone as she looked up. She took a moment to scan Elmont's face, worried at what he must be feeling right now. They were his soldiers, after all, but he was not looking at her. He was looking off into the distance. Victoria recognized that look though it was masked with a brave face. Grief. When he snapped out of it, he looked towards her, feeling her gaze.

Victoria furrowed her brows before giving him her best look of encouragement. He nodded at her before continuing, and Victoria could not help but admire the silent strength that coursed through the man. Especially when she knew she did not possess the same strength. He was like Jack, taking in the bad and using it to strengthen himself.

"Victoria? Are you alright?" Jack asked, concern apparent in his voice.

"Yes, Jack." Victoria shouted through the noise of the rain. A thick silence enveloped everyone as they thought about what had happened and grieved for their losses. Victoria's heart went out to Elmont as she did so. She knew the brave man was heavily affected by this even if he put out a strong front for everyone. This was his loss more than anybody's.

Victoria sighed as she kept going.

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_The chapter was going to be a bit longer, but I felt that I should end it here for now. Anyway, thanks for reading once again! Don't forget to tell me what you think!_

**Next Chapter: **Camping? :)


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